desert_vixen's lair

Getting ready to get out of here, although there's a lot of stuff not set in stone yet.  I'm going to try and mail my footlocker Saturday, and then I'll have to mail a smaller box when we get closer.

I've been reading a lot (shocker, I know), especially since Amazon has a Big Deal going until the 11th.  There's been some stuff worth reading in there, including several Perry Mason novels.  Now I want to a) rewatch the show and b) need a Nancy Drew/Perry Mason crossover.  Some of the early ones are definitely pulpy but enjoyable.  Loving the sparks between Perry and Della.

Right now, I'm reading an American Western historical by Carla Kelly, who has written several very good Regencies with people in need of redemption.  This book, Her Hesitant Heart, is just as good if you're a Carla Kelly fan - $1.99 in the Big Deal.

Starting to think about Yuletide (I know, it's only May) and what I want to ask for.  I have my assignment for Night on Fic Mountain that makes me happy, and I have my long ND fanfic to finish.  Finally.  I know.

I think I want to branch out and ask for Twilight Zone - specifically, "The Odyssey of Flight 33".  Trying to buy it from iTunes, but no cooperation from internet here.  I had to pack the disc away.

Oh, and a 10 page paper for my final in class.

Thinking about bookplates for the library.

I found and fixed the error in my checkbook, so that's good.

Just a typical Thursday here.  Fridays are late days for everyone else, so good days for me.  Plenty of peace and quiet to get things accomplished.

DV

 A third of the way through.

 The school thing I was supposed to hear about...so about that.  They still haven't sent out notifications.  I HATE "on or about" dates.  What would happen if I wanted to show up "on or about" work call?  Waiting is painful.  There's a lot riding on it.

 Going to repack one of my bags in prep for moving.  They made us bring a ton of stuff we've NEVER used.  Good to be prepared, but I'll be glad when we can throw these bags on a plane.

 Either way - WE ARE UNDER 100 DAYS.  This party is getting to the end.  Need to get all the financial goals met!  The new VixenMobile has been ordered and a partial down payment paid.

 Rolled back through some tags today, and I miss some of the people who used to be on here with us.  FB is not the same.

 DV

Just a lot of hard work, and reading, not much time for writing.

Plus, deployment life is pretty boring.

However, leave starts VERY VERY SOON NOW.

Also, income tax refund hits in four days, which is pretty happy making - especially since pay earned in a combat zone is not taxed...

DV

I haven't been posting much in the last little bit, busy enjoying stuff offline.

Still working through the Ellery Queen, a little over halfway through the set.  It may make it onto my Yuletide list - the interplay between regular characters is great, especially Richard and Ellery Queen.

Working on Yuletide and intoabar entries.

I am pondering whether or not to take a college class next semester.  On one hand, that would let me get back on track with class.  On the other, the job here may get more time consuming, and taking a class would mean having to do work while on leave (early in the class rather than late).  There's a class on Russian Empire that looks like fun.  Yes, I said "Russian Empire" and "fun" in the same sentence.

 I am crafting a post this evening about Christmas, for those who are interested.  I'll try to throw it up tomorrow or Sunday.

DV

It's a new month.  It's also All Saints' Day.  I'm a pretty lapsed Catholic, but it's still a day that I like.

3 months and 1 week into our fabulous trip to Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, I missed desert_sdwndr's notification that he was available for chat, which made me sad because now he is not available.  Unfortunately Yahoo Mail seems to run quite slow and uncooperative in my room.

I finished my read of The Nonesuch, one of my very favorite Heyers (and one of my Yuletide requests is for Tiffany to get a smackdown, possibly from Lady Lindeth).  I hadn't made highlights last time, so now all the good parts are marked.  I've moved on to rereading No Wind of Blame, to decide whether or not it stays on the Kindle.  So far, I am thinking not.

I've made some progress on plotting my Yuletide story, and am going to start writing this weekend.

I'd also like to write a long rambly post about Visionaries and how it's on my next Yuletide list, but likely not right now.

MV had a good time on her Halloween... and apparently my stepfather's habit of quality checking our candy has NOT changed.  I remember having to sit down at the dining room table and let our parents do a check to make sure none of the candy looked suspicious.  Then, we would divide our candy by type so we could trade for what we liked best.  Good times.

Enjoying the third disc of Ellery Queen, although not going overboard with too many episodes in one night.  After this it's music time, since my normal music time (in the car) does not exist.

 I also re-realized last night that I really do need to go back and retag a lot of the old entries because there are only 108 uses of the "mv" tag and I talk about her a lot more than that.

 DV
 

It's almost the end of October.

We're officially over 3 months here.

Not much else going on, reading a really boring book for class and postponing doing homework.

DV

It's Friday, which means lazy day.  I am trying to read and just enjoy myself.

I got signed up for the intoabar ficathon round, signup below the cut.  I'm planning to have fun, and did a better job of picking compatible fandoms than last time.
( My fandoms walk into a bar... )
Reading through stuff, trying to get solid inspiration on Yuletide.  Going to hopefully chat with Paul in a bit and then watch some Ellery Queen before I have to go to the unhappy place.

DV

 It's Monday.  I'm trying to figure out some way to beat this hibernation instinct I seem to be developing because it keeps me from getting to the gym, which I really can't afford.

 Having a few other issues, work and not-work, and hoping that they will stop being issues.

 Thinking on how to best fulfill my Yuletide assignment, and finalizing my signup for the intoabar go round.  I'm either going all 80s cartoons or all teen detectives.

 I watched the Ellery Queen pilot last night (yes, I am routinely 40 years behind TV) and am going to start working through the box set.  So far I am enjoying it.

 DV

 Fridays make me happy, especially with the stupidity at work.

 Ordered the MV's Halloween costume - she is going as Clawdeen Wolf from Monster High.

 I finished my comfort read of Murder on the Orient Express (one of my favorite Christies) and am now having a "why didn't I ask for fic about THIS?" moment.  Watching (or rather, listening) to the movie now.  There are differences in source material, but they both work wonderfully.

 ETA: I forgot to mention yesterday that there is a slight fault in the Kindle version of Murder on the Orient Express.  It is missing at least one sentence from the scene where Poirot is interviewing Greta Ohlsson and asks about her roommate (Mary Debenham)'s dressing gown.

 I need to polish off my NYR tonight so it can get uploaded tomorrow.  Then maybe I should knock out some of the homework.  Now getting off the Internet to finish watching the movie and read a little.

 DV

 My Dear Yuletide Writer letter is updated, but I need to post it.

 Lions won yesterday, but they were not the game on at MWR.

 Homework is still not done.

 Can't load more than one page at a time, so no FB chat with desert_sdwndr before work.  Sadness.

 It's also time for intoabar signups, until the 27th of the month.